Prominent late-night comedians — Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, David Letterman, and Jimmy Fallon — voiced strong criticism after ABC suspended Jimmy Kimmel’s talk show under pressure from the Trump administration.
On The Late Show, Colbert called the suspension “blatant censorship”, warning that networks cannot compromise with authoritarian demands. “Tonight we are all Jimmy Kimmel,” he declared, mocking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for citing “community values” as justification, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Jon Stewart, opening his show with satire, staged a parody of a government-approved broadcast. Playing a nervous pro-government loyalist, he hinted that the crackdown on free speech was part of a broader consolidation of power.
Fallon expressed support for Kimmel on The Tonight Show, praising him as “a decent, funny and loving guy”, before his commentary was humorously interrupted by a censored voiceover.
David Letterman, speaking at The Atlantic Festival, was more blunt: “You can’t go around firing somebody because you’re fearful or trying to suck up to an authoritarian, a criminal administration in the Oval Office. That’s just not how this works.”
The suspension followed remarks Kimmel made about Tyler Robinson, the man accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk. FCC chairman Brendan Carr suggested ABC affiliates could face regulatory consequences if action wasn’t taken against Kimmel.
The decision has sparked backlash from liberals, free speech advocates, and Kimmel’s late-night peers, who argue the network caved to political pressure.
Not all in the industry are united, however. Fox News host Greg Gutfeld suggested Kimmel’s removal was less about censorship and more about low ratings and high production costs.
